Visit after budget session: Modi to Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe saying he is looking forward to the meeting with him at the earliest convenient date after the forthcoming budget session of Parliament gets over.

The visit, which was slated for July 3 and 4, got postponed in view of the budget session even as an advance team of government officials were in Japan to prepare for the visit.

In a letter dated July 19, Modi also spoke of India and Japan being two big democracies in the Asia and both countries working together on a broad range of issues.

The PM’s visit to Japan is tipped to be a big-ticket visit in terms of deliverables in various fields including security and defence cooperation, economic ties, investment, regional connectivity and next generation infrastructure.

According to sources the visit of prime minister will see “series of deliverables”. After the visit of the prime minister of Modi, a series of important visits and meetings will kick-in, including defence minister Arun Jaitley visiting Japan this year.

Sources also said the budget session of the parliament was crucial for the new government and a view was taken the prime minister could travel to Japan after the visit, which will also give both sides to give more time for the preparations.

Modi even when he was the chief minister of Gujarat worked closely with the Japanese prime minister.

“Personally, I have a wonderful experience of working with Japan as CM. I am sure we will take India-Japan ties to newer heights,” Modi had tweeted. Abe was first among the world leaders to call up Modi soon after the last Lok Sabha election results came out.

Sources indicated the forthcoming budget may have measures to facilitate investment which will be of great news to the Japanese as well. The Japanese have been seeking changes in India’s tax and banking system that would further step up business ties between them.